Synthesis of heterocycles from alkyl 3-(dimethylamino)propenoates and related enaminones

This review demonstrates how a series of 2-substituted 3-(dimethylamino)propenoates and related enaminones as masked α-formyl-α-substituted acid derivatives and ketones, including chiral analogues, has been developed into group of versatile reagents for the preparation of 2,3-disubstituted propenoates and numerous monocycled and fused heterocycled systems with an α-amino acid or other related structural elements incorporated into the newly formed heterocycled system. Most of these reagents are accessible from easily or commercially available starting materials.